Oliver a



(No Model.)

WBLLMA BOOT TREE,

Pa ten-ted Aug. 10, 1886.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER E. WELLMAN, or BROOKTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO OLIVER A. MILLER, OF SAME PLACE.

TREE.

SPECIFICATION forniing part of Letters Patent No. 347,309, dated August 10, 1886.

Application filed March 15, 1886.

To all whom, it may concern:.

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER R. VVELL- MAN, of Brockton, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented cer- 75 tain new and useful Improvements in Boot- Trees, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention consists of a foot-piece for a boot or shoe tree, having the parts by which it is secured and held to the body or center portion of the boot-tree so constructed and arranged that as said parts become worn from use, thereby loosely holding the foot-piece to the centerpiece, such securing parts can be readily and quickly adjusted thereon, whereby the foot-piece will be closely and properly held to the center piece, all substantially as hereinafter fully described.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings is illustrated the present invention, Figure Lbeing a side view of a foot-piece having its attaching parts constructed according to this invention; Fig. 2, an end view; Fig. 3, a detail central longitudinal vertical section on line 3 3, Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a horizontal cross-section on line 454, Fig. 2; Fig. 5, a'view in perspective of one of the attaching-pieces; Fig. 6, a detail vertical section. Figs. 2 to 5, both inclusive, are enlarged.

In the drawings, A represents a foot-piece for a boot or shoe tree, made of wood; and B, a cap-plate of metal secured to the top by a screw, a, and having a hook end, 0, by which the foot-piece is attached and held to the boottree, all substantially as usual.

D is an arm or extension of the cap-plate B, extending down .in front of the large end, E, of the foot-piece, so as to leave aspace, F, between it and the end E of the footpiece, as shown more particularly in Fig. 6.

G is a dovetail piece tapering from its top I) to bottom d, having a central longitudinal groove, H, on one side, and its upper end being forked, as at e. This dovetail piece is adapted to fit between the end E of the foot-piece and the extension D of the cap-plate, which extension is to lie within the groove H, the dovetail piece being inserted in place by sliding it 7 up between the extension D and the foot-piece, 50 its forked end inclosingthe part m of the capplate. 1

Serial No. 195,297. (No model.)

ff are two screws, which pass through holes 9 g in the tongue-extension D, and respectively through central longitudinal slots, h h, in the dovetail piece, and screwing into the wood portion of the foot-piece, by which the dovetail piece will be held firmlyin place on the foot-piece. The slots h in the dovetail piece are so located longitudinally in relation to the screw-holes in the extension D that when first 6c applied in place they will extend downwardly from the screws, as shown in Fig. 3 more particularly, so that the dovetail piece can be moved up when desirous of adjusting it.

J is a metal plate secured to the end E of 65 the foot-piece,to strengthen and prevent wear of the wooden portion.

In attaching the foot-piece to the center portion of the boot-tree with the dovetail piece secure in place on the foot-piece, the dovetail 0 piece is first moved up in a corresponding 7 dovetail socket in the center piece until the hook G engages with a hook on the center portion, when the foot-piece will be closely and 'firmly held in its proper place. 7 5

In the use of the boottree, as the foot is attached and detached from the center piece many times, the dovetail piece at its edges becomes more or less worn,correspondingly causing the foot-piece to loosely fit to the center 80 piece, interfering with the proper working of the boot-tree. This objection is obviated by the present invention, for if the dovetail piece becomes worn at its edges,loosen the screws f and move it upon the foot-piece sufficiently 8 for the foot-piece to closely and properly fit the center portion,with the dovetail piece also closely fittingits correspondingdovetail socket, the'taper of the dovetail piece allowing for it to be brought to a close fit of its dovetail o socket with the foot-piece in its proper position on the center portion. The dovetail piece is then secured in such adjusted position by tightening the screws. Y

In lieu of the dovetail piece having dove- 5 tail edges they can be of any other form that will secure the same result, preserving, how ever, the taper of the piece, the socket in the centerpiece being made correspondingly also in lieu of two slots in the dovetail piece only 10 one need be used, or one long slot, taking in the two screws, can be used; also, the arm or extension of the cap can be in a separate piece from the cap,but secured to it in any suitable manner.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is l. A foot-piece of a boot or shoe tree, provided with a cap-plate, B, having a downward extension or arm, D, otherwise separate from the foot-piece, leaving a space between said extension and the end of the foot-piece for the reception and securing of a dovetail piece, G, to the foot-piece, for the purpose specified.

2. A foot-piece of a boot or shoe tree, provided with a capplate, 13, having a downward extension or arm, D, in combination with a dovetail piece, G, adapted to fit between said extension and the foot-piece and to be secured thereto, for the purpose specified.

3. The combination, with a foot-piece of a boot or shoe tree having a downward extension or arm, D, provided with one or more holes, 9, of a dovetail piece, G, adapted to fit between said extension and the foot-piece,and having one or more longitudinal slots, h, and secured thereto by a screw or screws passing through said extension and said dovetail piece, for the purpose specified.

4. The combination, with a foot-piece of a boot or shoe tree having a downward extension or arm, D, provided with one or more ho1es,g, of a dovetail piece, G, having a forked end, 6, one or more longitudinal slots, h, and adapted to fit between said extension and the foot-piece and to be secured thereto, for the purpose specified.

5. The combination, with a foot-piece of a boot or shoe tree having a downward extension or arm, D, provided with one or more holes, ofa dovetail piece, G, havingagroove, H, a forked end, 0, one or more longitudinal slots, h, and adapted to fit between said extension and the foot-piece and to be secured thereto, for the purpose specified.

6. The combination, with a foot-piece of a boot or shoe tree having a downward extension or arm, D, of a dovetail piece, G, having a groove, H, a forked end, 6, and adapted to fit between said extension and the foot-piece and to be secured thereto, for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I haveherennto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALEXANDER R. VVELLMAN.

\Vitnesses:

G. D. FULLERTON, Jnssrn P. CROOKER. 

